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Sunday, July 6, 2008

Here's the cuke...and a recipe

Since he didn't download in the previous post; here is Larry the cucumber, as jel dubbed him. But I don't think he's really any relation to the REAL Larry the Cuke from Veggie Tales. Well, maybe a very distant cousin. I did 7 more quarts of green beans yesterday, bringing my total up to 21 quarts. There is still more out there in the patch, I am thinking I will probably be able to get another canner full this coming week. Funnily enough I haven't much felt like having green beans for supper for the past few days, I can't imagine why....

The following is my favorite cookie recipe. I have only tried it once, but it won my approval from the first bite. Hubby loved them too. If I have one weakness in the cookie department it is for the good quality shortbread cookies you can sometimes find around the holidays. These, made at home with no preservatives, win my vote hands down; especially because they are so easy. Also, I intend on varying the toppings the next time I make them.

Candy Bar Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

pinch salt

3 (3.52 ounce) Toblerone chocolate bars, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Stack 2 baking sheets together and line top sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixer bowl cream butter and sugar until blended. Add flour and salt and mix to make a stiff dough that doesn't quite hold together. Pat dough into a 13 x 9 inch pan lined with parchment paper and set pan on prepared baking sheet. (Or pat dough directly onto baking sheet in a rectangle of about 14 x 10 inches) Bake until golden, 25-40 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate on hot uncut shortbread and let stand about 5 minutes, then spread chocolate around. Cut into 2-inch squares and remove cookies to fridge or freezer to set up.

I had to go to a town 20 plus miles away to find Toblerone chocolate bars, so next time I plan on just using choco chips or whatever happens to be on hand. I am not much of a candy bar fan so I don't have them on hand around the house anyway. Maybe I will just drizzle melted chocolate over the bars once I have them cut. I guess you could also use white chocolate or a combo to get creative with them.